Spiral Wound Gaskets

Spiral Wound Gaskets – Engineered for Excellence

Spiral wound gaskets have become a cornerstone in sealing technology, especially within the oil and gas industries. Their rise to prominence began in the 1990s, a pivotal era marked by significant environmental and safety regulations. The 1989 directive from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to discontinue the use of asbestos gaskets – due to the associated health risks – necessitated the search for safer, yet highly effective, sealing options.Spiral wound gaskets emerged as the leading substitute, demonstrating a remarkable blend of strength, flexibility, and sealing performance.

Today, spiral wound gaskets are widely regarded for their indispensable role across various industries, not just limited to oil and gas. Their adaptability to handle extreme pressures and temperatures, coupled with their capacity to seal in a diverse range of fluid types, makes them a go-to solution for critical sealing applications.

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What Are Spiral Wound Gaskets?

Spiral wound gaskets comprise a metal strip and a filler material, spirally wound together to create a robust and flexible seal. The metal provides structural strength and resilience, while the filler material ensures the seal's tightness.

Spiral Wound Gasket Construction

Spiral wound gaskets are generally composed of three main elements: the outer ring, the inner ring, and the sealing element.

Outer Ring: The outer ring, often made of carbon steel or stainless steel, serves multiple functions. It acts as a centering device that positions the gasket properly within the flange assembly.

This ring also provides additional radial strength to prevent gasket blowout and serves as a compression stop, guaranteeing that the sealing element is not over-compressed. It is critical in preventing flange deformation, particularly in flanges made of softer materials.

Inner Ring: Made from the same or compatible material as the gasket metal, the inner ring is used to avoid buckling of the sealing element and minimize turbulence within the fluid being sealed. It is particularly important in applications involving corrosive fluids, as it shields the gasket's winding and filler material from direct exposure.

Sealing Element: The sealing element is the heart of the gasket, consisting of a spirally wound v-shaped metal strip combined with a softer filler material. The metal provides structural strength and resilience, allowing the gasket to withstand high pressures and temperatures, while the filler material ensures sealing efficiency by conforming to the flange surfaces and filling imperfections.

Common metals used for the spiral winding include stainless steel, nickel alloys, and titanium due to their durability and resistance to corrosion. The filler materials vary based on the application but often include graphite, PTFE, or mica, chosen for their temperature resistance, chemical compatibility, and compressibility.

Types of Spiral Wound Gaskets

Spiral wound gaskets cater to a wide array of industrial applications, each with its unique requirements for sealing integrity. The versatility of these gaskets is reflected in their various types, each tailored for specific applications, flange configurations, and service conditions:

Style CG

Style CG gaskets feature an outer carbon steel ring, acting as a centering and compression-limiting device. This design improves radial alignment in flanged joints and protects the winding from over-compression, offering additional resistance against blowouts in a wide range of pressures and temperatures.

Style CGI

The CGI Style builds on the CG by incorporating both an inner and an outer ring. The inner ring prevents the spiral wound component from buckling inward and guards the gasket against erosion from process fluids. Suitable for higher-pressure environments and raised face flanges, it provides improved sealing efficiency and stability.

Style R

The simplest form of spiral wound gasket, Style R consists of just the winding without any rings. Designed for applications with space limitations or specific flange configurations – such as tongue and groove – it provides effective sealing performance, particularly in scenarios where sealing pressures are moderate.

Style RIR

Style RIR introduces a solid metal inner ring to the Style R, adding structural support to prevent the winding from collapsing into the pipe bore. This version is ideal for high-pressure and high-temperature applications, improving the integrity of the seal and reducing fluid turbulence and erosion.

Gasket Selection

Style CG

Style CGI

Style R

Style RIR

The Wide-Ranging Applications of Spiral Wound Gaskets

Spiral wound gaskets are versatile, finding applications in a wide array of industries including

• Petrochemical Industry

In oil refineries and chemical processing plants, spiral wound gaskets seal flanges and joints in high-pressure pipelines, reactors, and storage tanks. They withstand the corrosive nature of crude oil, acids, and other chemicals, as well as the extreme temperatures involved in processing.

• Power Generation

Within nuclear, coal-fired, and gas turbine power plants, spiral wound gaskets are used in steam systems, boilers, and heat exchangers.

• Maritime Applications

On ships and in shipbuilding, these gaskets find application in sealing pipes, pumps, and heat exchangers that operate under the harsh conditions of the marine environment.

• Aerospace and Aviation

In the aerospace industry, spiral wound gaskets are used in fuel systems and hydraulic assemblies.

• Cryogenic Applications

Spiral wound gaskets are also used in applications involving cryogenic temperatures, such as in the storage and transportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and other cryogenic substances. They maintain their sealing properties in temperatures as low as -196°C, ensuring the safe containment of LNG during storage and transit.

• Food and Beverage Processing

In this industry, they are used in heat exchangers, fermenters, and pasteurizers where hygiene and the ability to withstand frequent cleaning and temperature cycles are essential.

• Automotive Industry

Spiral wound gaskets are indispensable for the optimal performance and longevity of engines and exhaust systems. These gaskets meet the rigorous demands of automotive engineering, offering seals that cope with the fluctuating pressures and intense heat inherent to vehicle operations.

Discover Our Spiral Wound Gasket Solutions

Interested in exploring how our spiral wound gaskets can elevate your automotive operations? Reach out to us. We're here to guide you towards a customized sealing solution that aligns perfectly with your unique demands.

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